Echinacea plant named ‘Matthew Saul’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Echinacea  plant named ‘Matthew Saul’, characterized by its upright and columnar plant habit; vigorous and freely branching growth habit; inflorescences with golden yellow-colored ray florets and orange-colored receptacle spines; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Echinacea hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Matthew Saul’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEchinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea hybrida, and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Matthew Saul’.

The new Echinacea is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Dahlonega, Ga. The objective of the breeding programis to develop new Echinacea cultivars with large inflorescences with andunique ray floret coloration.

The new Echinacea originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in October, 2003 of two unnamed Echinacea hybrida selections,not patented. The new Echinacea was discovered and selected as a singleflowering plant by the Inventor in a controlled environment inDahlonega, Ga. in June, 2004 from the resultant progeny of the statedcross-pollinating. The new Echinacea was selected on the basis of itsunique ray floret coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea by tissue culture was firstconducted in Chamblee, Ga. in August, 2004. Since then, asexualreproduction by tissue culture has shown that the unique features ofthis new Echinacea are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Matthew Saul has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Matthew Saul’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Matthew Saul’ as a new and distinctEchinacea:

-   -   1. Upright and columnar plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous and freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Inflorescences with golden yellow-colored ray florets and        orange-colored receptacle spines.    -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Echinacea differ primarily from plants of the parentalselections in ray floret coloration as plants of the parent selectionshad white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the Echinaceacultivar Sunrise, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,235. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Dahlonega, Ga., plants of the newEchinacea differed from plants of the cultivar Sunrise in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea were shorter than plants of the        cultivar Sunrise.    -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea had larger discs than plants of        the cultivar Sunrise.    -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea and the cultivar Sunrise differed        in ray floret and receptacle spine coloration as plants of the        cultivar Sunrise had lighter yellow-colored ray florets and        yellow-colored receptacle spines.    -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Echinacea were more recurved        than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Sunrise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Echinacea showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newEchinacea. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typicalflowering plant of ‘Matthew Saul’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Dahlonega, Ga., in an outdoornursery under full sun conditions during the summer. When the plantswere about eight months old, the photographs, observations andmeasurements were taken. Plants used for the detailed description weregrown in one-gallon containers. At that time, day temperatures averaged29° C. and night temperatures averaged 21° C. Color references are madeto The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, exceptwhere general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea hybrida cultivar Matthew Saul.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed Echinacea hybrida            selection, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed Echinacea hybrida            selection, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 days at 24° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant summer.—About 42 days            at 29° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 56 days            at 21° C.        -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy and freely branching; white,            close to 155A, in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous container and garden plant.            Upright and columnar plant habit; narrow inverted triangle.            Freely basally branching; about ten basal branches per            plant. Vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.        -   Plant width or area of spread.—About 32 cm.        -   Basal branches.—Length: About 18 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Internode length: About 3 cm. Aspect: Upright. Strength:            Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Basal leaves, opposite;            after flowering, alternate; simple. Length: About 10.5 cm.            Width: About 2.75 cm. Shape: Lanceolate; elongated. Apex:            Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Venation            pattern: Parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescent; rough. Color: Developing and fully expanded            foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A. Developing and fully            expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation,            upper surface: Close to 146A. Venation, lower surface: Close            to 145C. Petiole: Length: About 6.4 cm. Diameter: About            4.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A to 144B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Terminal inflorescences held above the foliage            on strong peduncles. Composite inflorescence form, radially            symmetrical; elongate oblong-shaped ray florets; disc            florets massed at the center; ray and disc florets develop            acropetally on the receptacle. Inflorescences persistent.            Inflorescences face upright.        -   Time of flowering.—Long flowering period; plants flower            freely from the late spring and continue to flower            continuously until the autumn in Dahlonega, Ga.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about two weeks on the plant.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—One inflorescence per stem;            about eight open inflorescences and flower buds per plant.        -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet; honey or rose-like.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm.            Shape: Roughly spherical. Color: More green than 147A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.75 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 2 cm. Receptacle            diameter: About 7 mm. Receptacle height: About 8 mm.            Receptacle shape: Conical.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 2.8 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape:            Elongated oblong. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            satiny; longitudinally ridged. Orientation: Initially            upright and eventually recurved. Number of ray florets per            inflorescence: About 22 in a single whorl. Color: When            opening, upper surface: Close to 10A to 12A. When opening,            lower surface: Close to 10A to 10B. Fully opened, upper            surface: Close to 12A to close to 9A. Fully opened, lower            surface: Close to 12B.        -   Disc florets.—Shape: Elongated tubular. Apex: Five-pointed;            acute. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Number of            disc florets per inflorescence: Numerous; massed at the            center of the inflorescence. Color: Immature: Close to 144A.            Mature, apex and mid-section: Close to 144A to 144B. Mature,            base: Close to 155D.        -   Receptacle scales.—Arrangement: One per disc floret;            conspicuous, larger than disc florets. Length: About 9 mm.            Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape: Elongate; spinescent; sharply            acuminate. Texture: Stiff; smooth. Color: Apex: Close to            23A. Mid-section: Close to 144A. Base: Close to 155D.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: Numerous in about            six whorls. Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Fused to receptacle.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: More green than            147A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Stamen number: About five per floret. Anther shape:            Elongated oblong. Anther size: About 2 mm by 1.5 mm. Anther            color: Close to 202A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:            Close to 15A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc            florets. Pistil number: One per floret. Pistil length: About            6 mm. Stigma shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: Close to 6A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Echinaceas has not been observed on plants grown under outdoor    conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed    to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind and rain.    Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed to tolerate    temperatures from −15° C. to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant named ‘Matthew Saul’,as illustrated and described.